ABC’s Abbott Elementary, a half-hour comedy about a passionate group of underfunded Philadelphia school teachers, might be the most talked-about new series currently airing. And the show’s ratings back up the hype, as it seems like the network may have its first genuine hit on its hands since Modern Family ended nearly two years ago.
According to Deadline, the second episode of the series, “Light Bulb,” pulled in 9.0 million total viewers and scored a 2.93 rating among adults 18 to 49 — gaining an additional 5.6 million viewers over its first 35 days of multi-platform streaming. Compare that to the Modern Family series finale on April 8, 2020, which was watched live by 7.37 million viewers.
Additionally, the Dec. 7 series premiere of Abbott Elementary became the first ABC comedy debut to quadruple its ratings after 35 days, which also pulled in a respectable 7.1 million total viewers.
Since 2019, ABC has adopted MP35 ratings — which account not just for live viewership, but overall viewing across multiple linear and digital platforms after 35 days — replacing traditional live-plus-same-day (L+SD) ratings
Abbott Elementary was created, written, and stars Quinta Brunson as a newly-minted Philadelphia public school teacher. The series follows her scrappy group of hard-working colleagues who attempt to overcome the odds of an underfunded district to make a genuine difference in the students’ lives. Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Randall Einhorn additionally serve as executive producers alongside Brunson.
The series was based on Brunson’s own experiences growing up in the Philadelphia public school system, and is even based on a teacher who had a positive impact on her own life. The stellar ensemble cast is rounded out by Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.